Folding stool.



B. F. LIVINGSTON.

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A PPLICATIQK( FILED NOV.3. |816.

1,287,365. Patented Dec. 10,

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UNTTED sTATEs PATENT carica.

BONAPARTE F. LIVINGSTON, 0F MAPLEWOOD, MISSOIRI.

FOLDING sTooL.

To allie/wm 1f/may concern:

Be it known that I, BONAPARTE F. LIV- 1NGsToN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re siding' at Maplewood, in the county of St. Louis and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingStools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a resilient folding stool adapted moreparticularly for use by motormen and conductors on` cars where shocksand sudden jars are frequent. It is equally useful for clerks behindcounters, and in other places where it is desired'occasionally to foldthe stool to get it out of the way.

A further object is to provide the seat of the stool with a 4handle orhook by means of which the stool may be carried or hung up and out ofthe way when folded.

' I attain the objects of my invention by means of the novelarrangement, construction and combination of parts as will be Clearlyexplained herein-after and finally pointed out in the claims heretoappended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification wherein like characters of reference denote similar partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1, is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section,constructed in accordance with my invention, and set up ready for use asa stool.

Fig. 2, is a view showing the stool in its folded position.

Fig. 3, is a plan view of the stool ready Jfor use.

Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the seat and hook. Y

In Carrying out the aim of my invention, I employ a folding pedestalcomprising a hollow-head 1 having a plurality of downwardly andoutwardly projecting vbifurcated ears 2 arranged around the periphery ofsaid head.

Pivotally connected as at 3 to each bifurcated ear 2 is the upperextremity of a supporting leg 4. The lower'end of each leg 4 is providedwith a cap 5.

Centrally arranged between the legs 4 near the lower ends of the legs isa spider 6 having a central opening 7. The periphery of said spider 6 isprovided with a plurality of outwardly projecting bifurcated ears 8. oneto each leg 4. A spreader bracerod 9 is pivotally connected, as at 10,vat one Specification of Letters Patent.v Patented De@ 1()9 1918.Application filed November 3, 1916.

Serial No. 129,305,

end to each ear 8, and at its opposite end, as at 11, to a bifurcatedear 12 secured to each supporting leg 4. The legs 4 and bracerods 9 arepreferably made from tubular material. v

4A tubular socket 13 has threaded connection at its upper end with thehead 1 and is adapted to be supported thereby and depend therefrom.

The lower end of the tubular socket 13 is provided with a centralopening 14 and a shoulder 15. The upper end of the socketl member 13 isopen. The upper end of the head 1 is provided with a central opening 16.

A seat supporting stem 17 is provided at its upper end with a cross-heador T-head 18. The stem 17 is adapted to pass downwardly through opening16 into the head 1 and socket 13, through opening 14 of the socket andfinally through the opening 7 of the spider 6, as Vclearly shown inFig. 1. The lower end of the stem is provided with a shouldered head orcap 19 and slightly above the spider 6 with a stop pin 20, the object ofwhich cap and stop-pin will be clearly understood hereinafter.

The stem 17 is provided with a fixed stop collar 21. This collar isadapted to be slidable within the upper end of the tubular socket 13. Asuitable coiled compressing spring 22 is adapted to encircle the stem 17between the collar 21 and the shoulder 15 of the socket 13, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1. A suitable check spring 23 is adapted to encircle thestem 17 above the head 1 and below the collar 24 fixed to the stem `17.

'A suitable seat 25 is pivotally mounted upon the T-head 18, as will nowbe explained.

A suitable casting or stamping is suitably fixed to the bottom yof theseat 25. The casts ing consists of a plate 26 fixed to .the seat. Theplateis reinforced by means of the three ribs 27. A central socket 28 isformed at the juncture yof these ribs for-.the reception of the stem 17when the stool is ready for use. The plate 26 is further provided with apair of opposed rib-plates 29 spacedA apart suficientlyV to permit` thestem to pass therebetween when the seat is folded. The T' head 18 issocketed at theupper part of the ribs adjacent the plate 26.

yA locking catch 30 is pivotally connected, as at 31, to one of the ribs27 and the beveled head 32 thereof is adapted to span thel space betweenthe spaced rib-plates 29 to lock the stem in the socket 28 when the seatis ready for use. The catch 30 is provided with the -operating handle 33Vand the catch is normally held closed b y means of the spring 311. Tofold the seat the operator lifts up on handle 33 moving the beveled-headfrom spanning the space between the rib-plates 29, thus allowing thestein to pass between the plates.

To bring the seat back to its non-folded position, the operator merelyraises the lower edge of the seat and the stem automatically moves thecatch back by striking the beveled head 32. After the stem has passedthe head 32 the spring closes the catch "thereby locking the stem 17 inthe socket 28.

A suitable curved handle 35 is secured to one edge of the seat upon theunder side. By means of this handle the seat may be carried when folded,or it may be hung up thereby.

Then pressure is brought to bear upon the compression spring 22 bydepressing the stem 1T. the pin 20 is adapted to strike the top of thespider 6 and cause the brace-rods 9 to expand4 the legs 4 by the rodsassuming a practically horizontal position under the extreme load straindue usually to jars when a person is seated upon the stool. Thisarrangement. adds rigidity to the pedestal under heavy dead load strainas shock strains by further stiffening and bracing the lpedestal byexpanding the lower part of the legs above set forth.

When folding the pedestal, it will be observed, thatthe supporting legs#L are automatically folded by means of the cap 19 coming in contactwith the lower face of the spreader 6 when an upward lifting movement isimparted to the seat supporting stem 17. It will be observed, that cap19 raises the spreader 6, which inturn raises the inner ends ofthe'bra'ce-members 9 thereby drawing outer ends thereof and the lowerends of the supporting legs it inwardly ,toward the center of thepedestal, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.' The legs can be automaticallyfolded by merely pulling upwardly upon the seat or the handle thereof.

Wfhat I claim is:

1. In a stool of the class described comprising a foldable pedestal, afoldable seat, resilient means for supporting said seat` and means forstiffeningsaid pedestal when excessive pressure is exerted upon theseat.

2. In a stool ofthe classjdescrib'ed'comprising a 'foldabple' pedestah aseat, resilient means for supportingsaid"seat, means for stiffening saidpedestal when excessive pressure is exerted upon the seat. A

3.'In a stool ofthe class described comprising a foldablepedestal, afoldable seat, resilient means for supporting said seat,

means for stiffening said pedestal when excessive pressure is exertedupon the seat, means for automatically folding said pedestal by pullingup upon the seat and seat supporting means.

4. A stool comprising a pedestal having a yplurality of foldablesupporting legs, a springsupported seat support, a seat hingedlyconnected to the upper end of said seat support, a spring catch forlocking said seat in its open position, lsaid spring catch beingselfactuating when changing said seat from a folded position to its openlocked position, bracing members for said foldable supporting legs,mea-ns actuated by said seat-supi'iort when excessive pressure isbrought to bear upon the seat for spreading said supporting legs to addrigidity to the pedestal, means for automatically folding the supportinglegs upon upwardly movement of the seat and seat support.

folding stool comprising a foldable pedestal, consisting of a pluralityof supporting legs, a head from which said legs depend and are hingedlyconnected, a relatively short socket depending from and removablysecured to said head, a seat support adapted to pass through said headand said socket, a resilient means encircling said seat support withinsaid socket and adapted to normally hold said support in its extremeupper-most position, a foldable seat hingedly connected to the upper endof said seat support, a spring-catch for holding said seat in its' openposition, said catch adapted to be selfactuating in returning the seatfrom its folded position to its open position, a spreader 'encirclingthe seat support near its lower end, brace-members pivotally connectedat their inner ends to said spreader and at their outer ends to saidsupporting legs, a stop-pin fixed to said seat support above saidspreader adapted to engage said spreader and move itk downwardly whenexcessive pressure is brought to bear upon the seat for spreading saidsupporting-legs at their lower ends, a cap fixed to the lower face ofsaid spreader when folding the stool for drawing the supportinglegs'ftogether by lifting on the seat.

6. A stool comprising a seat, a pedestal including movable legs and aspreading member connected with the legs, a connection between the seatand the spreading member to spread theulegs under pressure on the seat,and spring means to operate the spreading member to yfold the legs uponVrelief of pressure on the seat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thespecification.

Bonarnnrn r. Livnvesfrou.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, By'addresengithe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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